TURN PAGES by clicking the arrows at the side of the page, or by using the toolbar.

ZOOM IN by clicking anywhere on the page.READ by dragging the page around when zoomed in.ZOOM OUT by clicking anywhere on the page when zoomed in.VISIT web sites or send emails by clicking on hyperlinks.

Print Page

Email this page to a friend

Search this issue

Index - jump to page or section

Archive - view past issues

Registration to Air Force News is free.Once registered you will be notified by email when new issue is published.

16 Lifestyle AIR FORCE April 17, 2008 The squat is one of the most functional activities we can perform. It is utilised every day, such as standing up out of a chair or picking something up from a lowered position. Squats build up the muscles that sup- port your entire structure and provide the fundamental initiators of everyday movement. Even though it is widely used, the squat is often performed incorrectly either through lack of knowledge or the "lift heavier than I can effectively handle" syndrome. The squatting action There has been much confusion and misconception lately regarding the move- ment of the knees and the hips during the squat. Unfortunately, many people regard only limited aspects of training theory when they redesign techniques. For example, a current concept is to not allow the lower limb to move forward when squatting, thus leaving the knees above the heel and pushing the hips fur- ther to the rear. This methodology consid- ers the protection of the knee by decreas- ing range of motion over the knee joint, thereby increasing the load on the hip extensors. Biowhat? This concept ignores basic biome- chanics. With the hips pushed further to the rear to compensate for the lack of forward knee movement, the level arm is increased between the fulcrum (the hips) and the load (the bar). This increases the load on the lower back and increases the potential of lower back injury. With this in mind, the current technique methodol- ogy still advises a combination of hip and knee loading, as opposed to overloading one or the other, unless you are in rehab or otherwise advised by a doctor or phys- iotherapist. So allow the knees to travel forward, but no further forward than past the front of the toes, and remember to 'sit back' by letting your hips travel back- ward. Squatting depth Another area of contention is the depth of the squat. For simplicity, when squatting with weight, the squat should be no lower than 90 degrees. Ironically, while many argue that deeper squatting with heavier weight is good for weight training, the average person cannot even squat down to 90 degrees with good technique because of poor muscle activa- tion and tight hamstring and calf mus- cle groups. Furthermore, most functional activities that have the knee loaded above body weight do not have knee flexion past 90 degrees. This is, however, not to say that loaded-squatting deeper may not be appropriate. It depends on the train- ing need. But the average person does not need to squat below 90 degrees when squatting with a load. Cinch the squat START POSITION Feet approximately hip width apart. Bar resting on upper back and shoulders, not the neck. Head neutral, looking forward. Well balanced. LOWERING Tilt your hips backward slightly. Slowly bend you knees and lower as if you were to sit into a chair. Your knees should travel in line with your feet. Head neutral, looking forward. Many people tend to look up as they squat or look at a fixed point. This causes hyper-extension of the neck and if the bar is positioned incorrectly, it could cause neck problems. THE BOTTOM POSITION Your knees should not extend past the front of your toes. Your thighs should be no lower than parallel to the ground, with about 90 degrees knee bend. The bar should be directly above your heels. Your abdominals should be drawn in, contracting your transverse abdominals, to stabilise the lower back. RAISING Without bouncing, slowly breathe out and rise to the start position. Do not lock your knees out vigorously at the top. Photos by CPL Corinne Boer HEALTH LT Rob Orr gets deep about correct squatting techniques. CORRECTION A reference in the last column, "Hands- on benefits", to the correct push-up technique referred to the Army BFA. For information on the push-up compo- nent of the PFT (introduced May last year), refer to CAF Directive 6/07.